Justice is a whole lot different in Arkham
by Screechy lady
Summary: What if Nightwing was in Arkham City instead of Batman? Oh, and the whole Young Justice team was watching his every move (courtesy of Robin) through the camera in his mask? Rated M because I'm paranoid, as well as dark themes, and descriptions of character costumes.
1. Into Arkham

"I'm so bored!" Impulse complained.

"Fine, then would you like to help me monitor the news?" asked Robin, annoyed with the speedster's antics.

"Aaaannnndddd, suddenly I'm not bored anymore. I totally forgot I have somewhere to be! I need to go to watch TV! Yeah, I have a special segment to watch on the news right about now!" The Flash's grandson said, checking his non-existent watch.

"Well, if you're going to watch the news, I'll come along and look for any major catastrophes that need our help." Robin said sliding his hand across the pop up screen at the Watchtower, causing it to disappear, seemingly oblivious to Impulse's desperation to avoid monitor duties. In the lieu of the Light's and Reach's defeat, the Team and the League had rounded up most of the world's super villians. Unfortunately, they'd had no such luck with the Light and were still showering the globe searching for the members. It frustrated Tim to no end, as he viewed himself as a budding detective, yet he couldn't find a hide nor hair of Savage and co. But back to the matter at hand, Tim knew all catastrophes would be radioed to the Watchtower long before any knees got to the studio, he just wanted to see Nightwing's speech. In the identity of Dick Grayson of course.

Impulse turned on one of the space station's many television sets to the news channel that happened to show Vicky Vale reporting from Arkham City. They were joined by Blue Beetle, Bumble Bee, Guardian, Wondergirl, Beast Boy, Superboy, Miss Martian, Aqualad, Tigress, and half hidden in the shadows, Batgirl. Believe it or not, the heroes each all really had nothing better to do.

"-Vale reporting live from Arkham City, the controversial super prison built right here in the heart of Gotham. In a few moments, Richard Grayson will be live on stage to explain his sudden interest in Gotham politics. The son of the infamous play boy millionaire, (Bruce Wayne)-"

"It's billionaire, Vicky. Millionaires were so last year." Dick cut her off as he walked by flashing her one of his million dollar smiles, as he made it to the podium, he was swarmed by reporters and paparazzi. Cameras flashed and a sea of voices was heard.

"Mr. Grayson-"

"-Grayson-"

"-can you explain-"

"Thank you, thank you, Gotham. Imprisoned behind these walls, gang leaders are fighting a bloody war in the middle of our once great city!" Cameras continued to flash. "Every inmate from Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison has been relocated to this facility. How can this be safe for the people of Gotham?!" Police sirens were heard off in the distance and rapidly getting closer.

"Today I've started the campaign to close Arkham city and make Gotham safe again.-" Suddenly many stark white helicopters, cars and vans with the Arkham City insignia on them flooded the area. Many men decked in army boots, black pants, and black vullet proof vests over their black shirts, and black berets to top them off. Tear gas canisters burst from their ranks and many people doubled over wheezing or crying.

"Hands in the air Grayson!" shouted one of the many guards with his gun trained on him and Dick hastily complied. Another guard spoke into a walkie talkie, "We have Grayson, target secure." Before bringing the butt of his gun down on the subject of his latest sentence's head.

The audience in the Watchtower sat numbly in shock. The team members who knew Nightwing's secret identity, (the Team's senior members plus Batgirl and Robin) all looked away in sympathy when their friend and leader got hit in the head.

Impulse got on his knees looked to the ceiling and screamed, "Why! I thought we were going to have another crash, crime free, day! Is that really to much to ask!"

"Crime never sleeps, hermanõ." replied Blue Beetle. "Say, what's wrong with Robin? Isn't he supposed to be assigning a team to help that Grayson kid?" he said referring to Tim sprinting from the room, to the monitor room.

Tim silently thanked his lucky stars that he hadn't shut down the computer, only put it in sleep mode.

"This is Robin to Nightwing, come in Nightwing." he drilled out, as he opened communication lines to Nightwing's comm. He desperately hoped Nightwing had followed his own advice when he lectured the entire team (including Robin, who had already heard the lecture from a Batman five times) on carrying a comm link on them at all times.

"Communications failed. Signal traced to Bludhaven." the computer crushed his hopes serenely, as it drilled off Nightwing's home address.

_Crap._


	2. Twinkle, twinkle, little bat

"What's wrong Robin?" questioned Wondergirl.

Robin nearly jumped in the air in surprise, but didn't. After all, he was a bat and bats do not admit surprise or weakness. He had been so engrossed in his work, he had not noticed Batgirl and the teams' senior members follow him into the room and have increased concern, as they listened to the computer tell them the location of Nightwing's comm. Right after, Blue Beetle, Impulse Beast Boy, Bumble Bee, Guardian, and Wondergirl had all come into the room, the latter asking her question. Robin ignored the question and instead turned to Batgirl.

Pleading look._ What should I do?_

Piercing glare. _What have you done already?_

Shrug. _Checked his comm's location._

Raised eyebrow. _What about hacking Arkham's security cameras?_

"I'm an idiot!" Robin said aloud, face palming.

"Well that answers my question." commented Batgirl wryly.

"What question?" asked Beast Boy completely lost.

"Gar, Batman and his protégés current or former, have their own non-verbal form of communication." M'gann patiently answered.

"Oh."

Meanwhile, Robin was cracking all the passwords required, breaking down all of the firewalls, and generally wreaking havoc in Arkham City's 'impenetrable' database. Once he had broken in, he and Batgirl began searching for promising video feeds. They eventually, (over the course of a minute) had narrowed it down to one possibility.

"Shut Arkham City down, it's out of control." growled out Grayson.

"Shut it down? By the end of tonight I will be a hero. Just like you. _Nightwing_." leered Hugo Strange.

"I feel I should thank you. Capturing Richard Grayson is _much _easier than capturing Nightwing. But now that we have you, Protocol 10 is ready to begin it will be my legacy. A monument to you and your teams' failures. And if you try to stop me, I guarantee everyone will know your secrets." Strange continued smugly.

Strange exited the room, and suddenly everyone was talking. Robin and Batgirl turned to face the torrent of questions, but were nearly blown over by the force of them.

"Nightwing's _who_?"

"Who's the bald guy?"

"I thought Strange was running Belle Rev!"

"What's happening now!" Caught everyone's attention, as they saw Nightwing, now unmasked to them as Richard Grayson, tip over his chair and be promptly shoved from the room by one of Arkham City's many Tyger Guards yelling at him about how he thought that they wouldn't hear him. The team then watched in awe as Grayson took out one of the guards with his hands and ankles cuffed, before being swarmed, and shepherded out of the room, into a holding cell full of other inmates. Richard was seemingly unaffected by the inmates jeers and taunts.

"What did you do to get in here Grayson?"

"Kill your father's butler?"

"You're gonna be my bitch Grayson!"

All of these comments directed at their leader filled the Team with righteous fury for him, but the last comment nearly sent them over the edge, as well as a guard they were a little bit pleased to see shoot the last inmate in the leg for disobedience. Nightwing wad then shoved into a line waiting to enter the Asylum. More taunts were aimed his way.

"Hey Grayson! I heard Penguin's put a price on your head!"

"I'm gonna get me some cash!"

"No, you'll just get in my way!"

They were interrupted by a guard. "Hey! Grayson get your ass up here!"

He started to walk forwards, before he was stopped by an inmate. "Dick Grayson, you're on my list. Bang." He laughed before being interrupted by a guard, who roughly grabbed Richard and shoved him to the ground holding him at gunpoint. "Lower your weapons, Mr. Grayson will not be any trouble, will you Mr. Grayson?" Intervened Hugo Strange, warden of Arkham City. "The cuffs can stay on, we don't want to make things to easy, do we?" he said as Dick was roughly shoved into another holding cell with two news reporters.

"Dick Grayson? Here I was reporting at your crummy press conference, and look where we are now! Guess that'll teach you not to get involved with politics, won't it." he added bitterly.

"Listen to me carefully." replied Nightwing sternly, "When they open the door, Do. Not. Panic. Stay close to me."

"Do you think I'm taking advice from someone whose never even been in a fight?" answered the reporter angrily glaring at Nightwing. Most of the occupant's in the Watchtower's monitor room (with the exception of Robin, Batgirl, and Tigress who fully understood the severity of the situation as well as, Aqualad albeit barely) couldn't help, but smirk, laugh, or smile. _If only he knew_.

"Stay calm." Richard patiently repeated. "They're trying to scare us."

"Sorry man, it's every man for themselves!" replied the terrified reporter, sprinting through the walkway while covering his head to protect himself from the inmates jumping over the top of the high chain link fence. This time, even Kaldur couldn't keep a small smile off his face as he watched Nightwing beat up all the convicts with his hands cuffed. He walked over to the reporter laying on the ground yelling, "On your feet, Ryder! I said, get up!"

"Woah. I think Nightwing just channeled Batman." observed Bart in a no-nonsense manner. Tigress just smiled sadly thinking that's exactly like something Wally would say to lighten the mood. Now that he was gone, life just seemed so _hard_. Like an impossible task she was forced to complete. She looked back at the screen in time to see Oswald Cobblepot, more commonly known as the Penguin walk towards Dick.

"Well look who it is, welcome to hell Dickie boy." The team winced as an inmate snuck up behind Nightwing who didn't notice him with the unresponsive Rider over his shoulders and was hit my a metal pipe in the back of his knees and then his head. Next, they watched in horror, as Robin switched cameras, and they saw the Penguin knock him out by kicking him in the face.

The Penguin and his crew then walked a long distance, while dragging Richard the whole time. "Wakey, wakey, Grayson. Aw, what's up? Do you need me to call your butler?" he mocked Nightwing as he struggled to stand.

"Oswald Cobblepot, how could I forget."

"Aw, you remember me. I'm touched. You're adopted father's family destroyed mine, Grayson." The team had to resist the urge to laugh at one of Penguin's thugs mocking his employer from behind. "This, well let's just call this good old fashioned revenge." he said smugly as he put on a pair of brass knuckles. He went in for a swing and was promptly awarded several broken bones for his trouble.

The man emitted a bird like screech and yelled, "Ahhhh! Get him, hurt him! He's broken my bloody hand!" As Nightwing was surrounded by thugs the Team had no doubts that he could take them all down. And he did. Within the space of three minutes. Robin and Batgirl were then faced with the nearly impossible task of using various security cameras to watch Nightwing's progress to higher ground. The team was then impressed, as they saw Nightwing make a makeshift communicator tuned to the Bats' special channel from scratch.

"Alfie-" "*Sigh* Agent A Nightwing, how many times must I tell you to call him that incase someone hacks the link. Don't say I'm over paranoid, the Batjet's scanners are picking up someone else on the channel." Batman cut him off.

"That would be us." Batgirl cut him off. "Us?" asked Batman. "Well, we were watching Nightwing's speech on the news with the rest of the Team and saw his incarceration at Arkham. Then, we hacked Arkham's security cameras and saw his one on one time with Hugo strange."

"Can I say you're over paranoid now?"

"Focus Nightwing."

"It's not good. Strange knows my secret identity."

"Then he could know ours by extension. This is not good."

"I don't mean to interrupt you masters and mistress," cut in a proper English accent, "but do you intend to brood all night?"

"Right, right, I need an immediate drop on the Ace chemicals building I'm there now. Also, send a spare communicator."

"You do realize you have to stay and find out what's going on?" "Of course, this could lead us to the Light." "Also, don't think you haven't escaped the don't forget your comm link at home lecture. For the twenty-third time." warned Batman. "You're still keeping track?" asked a sheepish Nightwing.

"Sending the drop right now. Has it arrived sir?" Intervened the same english man.

"Right on time. Thanks, Alf- Agent A" Nightwing scanned his hand on a scanner and the bullet shaped metal object it was located on, popped open revealing his costume. To respect Nightwing's privacy Robin looked through the other cameras and hacked Tyger communication lines.

"All units, this Air Tyger 4 we have conformation that prisoner 4011 is in the courthouse. I repeat Catwoman is in the courthouse."

"Is she in danger?" Hugo Strange's voice cut across the communications line.

"Affirmative. Target is being held by Dent. We believe he intends to kill her. How should we proceed?"

"Hahaha, stand down, let Two-Face have his fun." Strange said before closing the communication line.

"Chill Bats, I'll go get her first. If anyone knows what's going on in Arkham, it's Catwoman." said Nightwing predicting Batman's demand that he go help Catwoman first.

"Good. Batman out."

"Oh, and Nightwing," "Yeah Robin?" "The Team has been listening in the whole time."

"Everyone?"

"Everyone, but Lagoon Boy."

"Do they know my ID?"

"What do you think?" Batgirl dead panned.

"Is not too much to ask?"

"They know 'Wing."

"*Sigh* Well you might as well turn on the video and audio feed from my mask and I can explain to them how to use strategy when they fight villians. We need it."

"Okay, turning on video and auditory now."

"Is it working?"

"Perfectly"

"Okay then, let's go." Nightwing fired off his grappling hook and made his way over to the courthouse. Once he got to the front he made quick work of the thugs standing guard outside and made his way inside. He looked over and the feed from his mask showed Two-Face on a stage, in front of a statue of Lady Justice with one half of her scales lit on fire the other not, and a circular red curtain over a bubbling green pool of acid. Over fifty inmates were in a crowd below the stage, cheering him on. The audio in Nightwing's mask caught all of Two-Face's words.

"The only way to get by in this place is to get our selves some respect." pondered Two-Face's good(ish) half. "Fear! Fear! That's how we get respect show them all how we do things!" his **really **not-so-good half growled out, turning around. "We should be fair though, this is a place of justice after all." reasoned good cop. "Screw justice! Kill her, and they'll all fear us!" roared bad cop. "Bring out the defendant!" The curtain fell away revealing a bound Catwoman hanging upside down, causing cheers to go up from the crowd of inmates. She turned to look at Two-Face.

"You certainly know how to keep a girl hanging Harv. Heeeeyyyyy, have you had some work done?" She was met with a backhand punch to the face. "That's for stealing from us, **no one** steals from us." he raged at her. "I'm sorry if I've been a bad kitty, untie me and I'll make it up to you. she said to him in a way that could only be described as flirtatious. "Let's see if the coin thinks you're telling the truth." he leered at her, holding his scarred half dollar up in the light. He flipped it. _Heads._ "This court is now in session." He announced to the inmates, invoking cheers.

"Taking out the thug with the gun makes taking out the rest of the thugs easy." Nightwing murmured through the audio as he completed the action, Two-Face called for order, and started his speech. Nightwing would have none of that and began to walk across a rope suspended above the crowd of inmates before flipping down on to one of their backs. As the team watched him take on the fifty other thugs, and listened to Two-Face's threats of cutting him in two, they were once again amazed by his fighting prowess. _Punch, flip, kick, dive, jab, tuck and roll, backhand, and repeat._ He never faltered or showed self-doubt, and soon all the thugs were knocked out.

Only for Nightwing to be shot in the chest. "Objection" Nightwing was blown back by the force of the impact, "overruled." Two-Face walked over to Catwoman. "Heads or Tails kitty cat?" he asked her (while holding her at gun point.)

"Which one gets me out alive?" He flipped his special coin. _Tails. _

"Not this one." he smiled.

"I vote for a stay of execution." she said breaking her bonds and scratching the good side of his face in the process. "No gun Harv? Shame, this is gonna hurt." she mocked while smiling, as she unsheathed her claws. Two-Face startled her to say the least, by pulling out another gun "Two guns, b*tch!" The smile on Catwoman's face fell and reappeared when she saw Nightwing hoist Two-Face up upside down with a rope, (screaming) and hang him by his feet from where she had previously been.

"And I thought it was cats who had nine lives." she commented, nearly laughing as Two-Face screamed while suspended over the acid she had previously been. She walked up to him and crouched down so she was face to face with him. "How's it hanging, Harv?" she asked. Before kneeing him as hard as she could in the crotch, causing all male members of Young Justice to shiver in sympathy. "Come to Kitty." she quipped taking a smartphone and sticking it in her half zipped up black leather bodysuit before turning to Nightwing. "Did anyone tell you and Bats that your full of surprises?" she asked.

"You looked like you could have used some help and Bats would kill me if I didn't help a lady out."

"You're right, I think I chipped a nail back there."

"Haha."

"So what are you here for. Incase you're lost, this isn't Bludhaven."

"What do you know about Protocol 10?"

"Never heard of it."

"Ah-ha." he said disbelievingly, but didn't pry.

"What about Strange?"

"I don't trust him. He's been missing for years and is suddenly put in charge of Arkham City. Rumor has it he's been working with Joker.-"

Back at the Watchtower, Robin turned to Batgirl "That is not good."

She turned to him. "What gave you that idea, Sherlock?"

Tim was about to respond when the Joker's voice came over the still open communication lines of the Tyger guards. "Twinkle, twinkle, little bat. Watch me kill your favorite cat."

"Nightwing look out!" Batgirl went to warn him, but he was already moving, having noticed the dot from a sniper's scope on Selina's forehead. He grabbed her, and yanked her to the side.

"The ex-district attorney here, has said something about-What the hell!" she yelled at him.

"We really dodged a bullet back there." he said grinning Catwoman and everybody on the watchtower watching them groaned except for Beast Boy and Impulse who didn't realize he was joking. "I don't get it." announced Impulse. "Me neither." agreed Beast Boy.

"See you soon, bird brain." The Joker's voice echoed over the communications line with what would have been a haunting laugh, had it not turned into a coughing fit

Catwoman turned to Nightwing "I thought you got over those stupid puns. You expecting a kiss?" she asked Nightwing referring to their position.

"That was Joker this is not good. No one is safe here, and my puns are not stupid!"

Catwoman chose to ignore his second statement and replied, "Nine lives, remember?" before flipping away.

Nightwing turned on his comm to question, "Are my puns really stupid?"

"Do you want me to tell you the truth or save your dignity?" replied Batgirl

"Touché."


	3. That crazy lady strikes

"I need to locate where the bullet entered the court and where it impacted. Batgirl, detective mode please." muttered Nightwing, trying-and failing to cover up the blow to his ego by getting down to business.

"Detective mode activated." replied Batgirl coolly. The members of the team couldn't help but be impressed when Nightwing's mask's field of vision turned blue from the feedback from the scanners now activated.

"The bullet hit the floor here, now where did it enter the room?" questioned Nightwing zooming into a section of the floor with a bullet hole in it. Nightwing walked over to the window the bullet came through and scanned it for holes he found one and an orange line appeared leading from the hole in the window to the one on the floor. "The trajectory the bullet traveled will lead me to the shooter." "The church? I thought those were supposed to be places of peace." joked Nightwing.

"You do know your jokes are as bad as your puns, right?" Batgirl dead panned.

"Right, right. I'm going." Nightwing said hurriedly. He fired his grappling gun and started flipping, grappling, running, and beating up any thug he came across on the way to the church and easily dispatching the thugs with their faces painted guarding the entrance. He opened both sets of double doors in the church to a crowd of more thugs.

"Coming through, Batbrat!" was cheerily yelled at him, courtesy of Harley Quinn who executed a flawless triple round off and attempted to hit Nightwing, only to be punched in the stomach so hard she was sent flying back.

"Ow!" she screeched.

"Let the lady go Bird freak, or these people all get a bullet in their heads!" said a thug quickly after seeing his (temporary) leader get knocked over so fast.

"I think you should listen to what he says, after all I'd hate to get blood all over my nice new outfit. What do you think, Batbrat like it? Of course you do who wouldn't?" she crowed happily brushing off the red and black revealing costume with diamond decals and a corset to add. "See here's the deal, Mistah J really is not up for a visit right now, he's not feeling himself." she elaborated while circling Nightwing. "Well actually, he was earlier, but that's not what I meant. He's not doing so well and that idiot doctor I sent from here didn't help!" She said this with such fury, that the senior team members watching these events play out would be glad they were not on the receiving end of that (misguided) anger, but they had heard stories from the bats about her abilities and were not impressed. The younger team members were _very_ concerned for Nightwing. Batgirl and Robin just rolled their eyes at Harley's usual love struck attitude about someone hurting her Mistah J. "I've seen more smarts from these bozos!" she added in a 'Can you believe it?' tone. "I've got to run boys," she said turning to her thugs. "if he does anything funny, kill him!" she added yelling while pointing a finger gun at her head before blowing him a kiss and striding out of the church. Nightwing immediately threw some gas pellets to the ground and grappled on to the nearest gargoyle in the ensuing chaos from the thugs yells and wild shots. He then swiftly swung over to the nearest gargoyle and quickly made his way to the back of the church's lobby where he dropped down and took out two unsuspecting thugs by bashing there heads together. "You're safe, stay quiet." he ordered a hostage before grappling over to another room, bursting through a wall, and taking out another terrified thug.

"Stay back bird brain I have a gun!" was the last thing a thug was able to utter before he was knocked out. The same procedure was repeated until all the captors in the room were unconscious.

"Okay does everyone understand? Look after the wounded keep the bad guys out. Were a team let's keep it that way." stated a security guard who appeared to be in charge. He turned to see Nightwing running towards him. "Thank god you got here." he praised Nightwing.

"After what happened at the Asylum, I'd think you'd want to settle for a quiet desk job." Nightwing said wryly.

"Yeah right, when Sharp closed the old asylum down, it turned out there wasn't much jobs for an ex-security guard who failed to stop a mass breakout. This is the only work I can get."

"Batman's told you this, and I'll tell you this too. What happened back there wasn't your fault, Cash. It's the truth." sighed Nightwing. "What was Harley Quinn doing here?"

"That crazy," (This time M'Gann was able to cover up Beast Boy's ears in time, but he still got the gist of what Cash was saying) "bitch busted in a couple hours ago with the rest of these idiots. Took something up the tower than blew up the staircase."

"Thanks, I'll check it out."

"Wait! I mean sorry, Nightwing I forgot a couple of them grabbed one of the 'docs. Quinn said something about needing her to fix up the Joker."

"Don't worry, I'll find her. Harley and the Joker aren't the most subtle, they leave that to Riddler, Catwoman and occasionally Zsasz. You concentrate on securing this church. It should keep you all safe."

"Will do, hope you find the doc, her name's Stacy Baker. She's one of the good ones."

"Okay, we saw Catwoman, hottie by the way, and we fight Riddler all the time, but whose Zsasz?" inquired Impulse asking the new question on everyones' minds.

Batgirl left Robin to monitor the feed from Nightwing's mask and pulled up a holographic picture and profile of Zsasz. "Victor Zsasz alias Zsasz is an insane serial killer who believes that the only way to save the human race from a zombie apocalypse is by killing all possible would be zombie victims. For every victim he kills, he adds a tally mark to his skin to keep track. Besides displaying insane and sociopathic tendencies, Zsasz is unpredictable, unstable, and will kill you first chance he gets, he never holds ransoms for his victims. He is serving out multiple life sentences with no chance of parole and has 114 cases of man slaughter proven against him and at least 58 unproven or pending cases where he is the main suspect. Furthermore,-" Batgirl's gruesome speech to everyone but Robin was interrupted by the church's bell tower blowing up.

"What happened!" screeched Batgirl to Robin.

"Uh, Nightwing kind of blew up the tower." replied Robin sheepishly.

Bumble Bee turned to Batgirl. "Dang girl, keep screeching like that and I really will think you are part bat!" Batgirl blushed while looking back at the screen.

"Nightwing to Robin I've located the signal used to control the gun. Joker's behind this. Bats won't be happy about this."

"Yeah, I barely heard the clown over Batgirl lecturing the team about Zsasz. And you mean _if_." he corrected Nightwing. "Bats is off world on a mission and logged off of communications." Robin added for good measure.

"Agent A is updating me on everything you're saying and what's going on." Came Batman's gruff voice across the comm link.

"I'll leave you to your lecture then." laughed Nightwing as he grappled to the coordinates of the signal to the sniper rifle in the bell tower of the church.

"Lantern, look out!" yelled Batman. "You're lucky we're being attacked by flesh eating space aliens." he added. "Don't think you won't be getting the never think Batman isn't listening to your conversations lecture. Batman out."

"The radio signal should lead me right to-" Nightwing was cut off by Harley Quinn.

"Listen up dumb asses, and listen _carefully, _as you know, Mistah J is... he's... not feeling himself. And the last thing he needs is any so called heroes bursting in here and stopping his so called recuperation! That's where you morons come in. You need to protect the Steel Mill. Protect it with your lives! Because if you fail, I'll make sure the visits of your life don't mean zip! Get it? Good!"

"-him. Well, that just made my job a little harder. Robin do you know any alternate routes?"

Batgirl cut off Robin's response. "I'm going to warn you 'Wing, the only accessible route to the inside of the mill is suicide, but-"

"Through the main chimney, I figured." Nightwing cut her off before grappling in. He then proceeded to navigate his way through several hundred yards of metal piping, air vents and jets of steam with the aid of his grappling hook and his skills. Nightwing was sneaking down a lower walkway when he passed an arena of convicts, Harley Quinn, and the missing doctor.

"I promised you some entertainment, didn't I boys?" Harley practically snarled. Nightwing started to pick up the pace.

"Please, I tried my best." begged Dr. Baker.

"Well, then you should have tried harder." was yelled back at her by a certain love crazed clown. The doctor's resounding screams were heard mixed in with the inmates cheers. "That useless quack has failed Mistah J and you know what that means." Harley was met by chants of "Kill, Kill, Kill!" Nightwing was definitely picking up the pace now.

"Oh, I think we can do better than that!" The resounding sound of metal smacking meat and the doctor's agonized screams made most of the team feel sick.

"Señorita, you live in a loco city." was all Blue Beetle had to say to Batgirl.

"Tell me about it."

"Heeeeelllllllpppppp me!" was heard from the arena as well as, the banging of metal on metal.

"Stop! Change of plans! Take her to the smelting chamber. Mistah J wants this one to suffer a little bit longer!" laughed Harley in delight.

"You're coming with us 'doc." was stated by a distinctly male voice.

"That's it the rest of you idiots get out of here! You know what to do go get the snow man and bring him back here right now! He's gonna pay for screwing over Mistah J I needed him back here like yesterday!" she demanded as groups of thugs left the building. Nightwing then jumped up and made quick work of the thugs.

He then turned to an incredibly painful to look at neon likeness of the Joker with two doors in its jaws. A very angry Harley Quinn came striding out. "What the hell are you doing here, you're supposed to be dead! Well, there's no way you're getting to Mistah J, were safe and sound up here. You can just stay down there and burn!" On that pleasant note, the doors sealed shut in front of Harley.

"Nightwing to Robin, Joker's goons dragged off a Dr. I'm going to get her back first."

"Okay."

Nightwing then ran up and down halls and around numerous corners before he got to a room of thugs going on about killing him and Batman and about their secret crushes on Harley. Nightwing didn't pay much attention to what they had to say. He quickly dispatched them with relative ease and proceeded on to the next room to hear the goons talking to there hostage.

"This was supposed to be your last chance to make things good. Harley says if you can't fix the boss we gotta hurt you. Bad." The thug almost sounded sad about hurting the doctor and it made the team (mostly the girls besides Artemis and Batgirl who both lived in Gotham) think there was hope for him. Nightwing grappled up onto a gargoyle and dropped down onto a patrolling thug, knocked him out, crashed through a window, and saved the doctor within thirty seconds. The Team was once again impressed.

"How do you think poor Mistah J is gonna get better if you fail to stop the dumb bird!" screeched Harley over the intercom as Nightwing walked over and untied the doctor.

"Can you stand?" he asked.

"Give me a second. What's wrong with these people? That crazy woman thinks I can fix the Jokah." she quivered out.

"What's wrong with him?"

"There's something in his blood,some kind of toxin, it's killing him. He blames something called...Titan."

"The plot thickens." interrupted Batgirl completely unconcerned for the Joker.

"Titan?" Nightwing's face was shadowed with worry.

"Yeah, do you know what he's talking about? He kept going on about last laugh."

"Ah-ah,_ 'doc _isn't that information supposed to be..._confidential. _Interrupted Harley's voice from the intercom on a mannequin in front of them.

"What's happening, how does she know what were saying?" fretted the panicked doctor.

"Get that door sealed up nice and tight boys, we don't want that vermin escaping do we?" trilled Harley over the intercom.

"At least they won't be getting in. We're safe, right?" Nightwing chose to ignore that question and turned around to the voltage measuring station and started to rip it apart.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Sorry doc, I need to get out of here someone needs to stop Joker." he said putting together a new device. "Stay here you'll be safe."

"You're sure?"

"If you hear anyone coming, hide. I'll be back." Nightwing replied over his shoulder continuing on to leave a trail of unconscious thugs in his wake. His new device, which temporarily gave remote electric charges to turned off machines, his hacking skills, and his martial arts experience all came in handy. During that time, Hugo Strange's voice came on the intercom to inform everyone currently on the line that 'Protocol 10 will commence in nine hours.'

He approached another room that Harley was in. It had another painful neon Joker face around the door."How did you get out of the smelting chamber Batbrat? What did you make? Tell me! Tell me!" she demanded. Too slow, bird brain!" she added when tried to grapple onto the ledge she was on and failed as she closed the door. "Harley, get back here, I think I'm dying!" was heard from behind the door. He then used the new gadget he had and used an electrical current to build up enough momentum for a crane to smash into the doors and knock the surrounding Joker face off too.

"What's wrong with you Batbrat, you come to Mistah J's home and start smashing things! Don't you know he's sick!" Harley yelled outraged. When Nightwing promptly tried to grapple up, he was knocked down by a giant one armed man. "Surprise Batbrat, meet Mr. Hammer, he's gonna teach you some manners!" she added for good measure.

"Woooaaahhhh, that's a big hammer! Who is that guy?" Wondergirl thought aloud. Batgirl pulled up another villain profile "Mr. Abramovici (first name unknown) alias Mr. Hammer he had a russian twin Mr. Sickle who also worked for a russian circus as freaks and then the Joker. All their lives until a few months ago, they have been conjoined at their torsos until they were forcibly split in half by the Joker. The Joker chose Mr. Hammer over Mr. Sickle as one of his enforcers. Mr. Sickle has currently been spotted with the Penguin's gang, though no physical evidence has been uncovered of Mr. Sickle being part of the gang. Both have brutal mind sets and are responsible for 43 murders together and 16 and two separately respectively. They are each serving life sentences with a chance of parole.

While Batgirl had explained who Mr. Hammer was, Nightwing had defeated said villain and a group of thugs. He was about to grapple up to the ledge when he heard Harley utter "No!" and a sound he was all to familiar to him. A flat line from a heart monitor. Harley was crouched at the Joker's feet crying. The Joker was sitting in a wheel chair and the monitor connected to him was flatlining. "Batgirl and Robin, you getting this?" asked Nightwing.

"Loud and clear, 'Wing." answered Robin.

"I can't believe he's really dead." said Batgirl.

"Fifty bucks he's not." challenged Robin. Batgirl was about to answer when the comm crackled to life.

"Robin, rule thirty seven."

"I know Batman, no betting on the job."

"Then follow the rule, Batman out."

"Why, why, why, why, why." sobbed Harley. She turned towards Nightwing when she heard his footsteps. "You!" she snarled.

"Move, Quinn." was his only reply. When didn't do the required action, he grabbed her arm and shoved her to the side.

"Hu-ooh! This all your fault! You and B-man," she ranted as he used detective vision to search for signs of life. When he was satisfied that there was no breathing, pulse, or even a struggling heart beat he turned it off in time to catch the end of Harley's rant. "-not to mention that new bird idiot and Bratgirl have hounded him for years, beat him to a pulp and for what?" she said staring at him with tear filled eyes as she slowly backed away from him, but there was something else in those eyes that looked like glee. She looked like the fox that was about to snap up dinner. Then he was jumped from behind.

"Surprise!" screamed the Joker in his ear. While he breathed in a sweet scent the Joker was pressing to his nose. Sweet scent...Chloroform! Nightwing threw the Joker off, but it was too late. The chloroform had left him disoriented, so when Harley went "Batter up!" and started hitting him with a baseball bat and as his world faded to black, he couldn't help but think _Three strikes you're out._


End file.
